Coachella Valley

Coachella Valley (kōˌəchĕlˈə) [key], arid region, SE Calif., N of the Salton Sea. Water is brought into the region by artesian wells and by the Coachella Canal (123 mi/198 km long), a branch of the All-American Canal built between 1938 and 1948; more than 100,000 acres (40,500 hectares) have been irrigated. Truck crops, dates (the majority of U.S. production), citrus fruits, and alfalfa are grown in the region. The products are shipped from the city of Coachella, in the valley's south, which serves as a distribution point for the valley. The valley also includes such rapidly growing resort communities as Palm Springs and Palm Desert.